RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Two Palestinian prisoners are in critical condition in Israeli hospitals, the Palestinian Authority's ministry of prisoners announced Saturday.

The conditions of Riyad al-Amour and Muhammad al-Taj are deteriorating rapidly, according to a report from the ministry.

The report said al-Amour, 42, who is held in Assaf Harofeh medical center near Tel Aviv, needs urgent open-heart surgery which cannot be performed due to weak coronary muscles. Al-Amour slips into comas at least five times a day and suffers from exhaustion and incontinence.

The detainee sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen in the past, and parts of internal organs had to be removed leading to the deteriorating conditions and weak coronary muscles.

Al-Amour is from Tuqu village east of Bethlehem. He was arrested on May 4, 2002 and sentenced to 11 life terms for involvement in the resistance.

The other prisoner, Mohammad al-Taj, 42, from Tubas, suffers from reduced blood oxygen levels. He had to be transferred to Israel's Kfar Sava Hospital 10 days earlier to get treatment.

The ministry’s attorney Sherine Iraqi has declared that the two prisoners' conditions are deteriorating badly. In a hearing scheduled for Oct. 18, Iraqi will ask for al-Taj's immediate release.

Al-Taj was originally arrested on Nov. 19, 2003 and received a 14-year sentence. He was one of the participants in the mass hunger strike during April and March.

Meanwhile in a letter received by the ministry, two prisoners suffering from advanced cancer called on President Mahmoud Abbas and rights groups to intervene to help them attain better treatment.

Rafat Turkman and Fuaz Sabaa, who are being held in Israel's Gilboa and Majedo jails, have received treatment in Israeli hospitals but are receiving only painkillers and want to seek treatment abroad.

Eighteen prisoners in Israel's jails are suffering from cancer, the report added.

1 ) Chocolate Babka / Charleston

14/10/2012 06:38

"Eighteen prisoners in Israel's jails are suffering from cancer"
So what? There are prisoners in in every country in the world who are suffering from cancer or any other life-threatening diseases. Israeli prison doctors will start treatment and the prisoners will either recover to continue serving their term, or will die and be buried. No big deal, if you ask the families of victims of these imprisoned terrorists.

2 ) Billy Bragg / UK

14/10/2012 14:33

They are no doubt both receiving world class medical treatment.

3 ) Rami / Palestine

15/10/2012 08:11

World class indeed. There are tons of independent reports that attest to Israel's committed care of Palestinians in prison. You can start with Human Rights Watch, work your way to Bt'Selem, and then move on to to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

4 ) Henry / Italy

17/10/2012 08:40

#3 How about allowing some human rights for the Juice?

5 ) Nadia / United States

08/11/2012 21:36

Are we truly justifying the healthcare in Israeli prisons? The medical treatment is atrocious. Soldiers administer the wrong medications often intentionally and harrass/interrogate the patients to the extent that they fear seeking medical care at all. It is because of this that most of the prisoner's diseases escalade to the extent that they do and often times die.

6 ) Nadia / United States

08/11/2012 21:37

There are reports of prisoners going as far as attempting to treat themselves within their own cell such as excavating their own tooth using a hammer and nail or women given labor in their cells handcuffed and chained to the wall. Would prisoners really go to these degrees of sell treatment if there was outstanding healthcare given by the soldiers? I highly doubt that.

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